NCAA Rules: Summer & Vacation Jobs

If you’re a high school or college student who competes athletically, and you plan on getting a summer job, be sure you know the NCAA Regulations regarding prospective student-athlete employment.

Listed below is some important information that all current and prospective student-athletes, alumni, athletics representatives, and fans should be aware of.

For example, if you plan on getting a job (summer or otherwise) then you should know the NCAA has strict rules about the amount and source of employment income a student-athlete may receive during the academic year. Be sure to read the regs carefully.

Division 1
Non-athletics award winners

A college’s athletic department can hire you as long as the college did not award you an athletic scholarship or recruit you. However, you cannot start the job until you’ve completed your senior year of high school. To apply for the job, you must use the college’s regular employment procedures, such as a bulletin board listing or newspaper ad; and if you’re hired, you can be paid only at the job’s going rate for the actual work you do.

Athletics award winners

If you’re an athletics award winner, any department outside of intercollegiate athletics can hire you. One exception: you can be hired for college recreation programs only if intercollegiate coaches are not involved in hiring or supervising employees. Your employment must be arranged through the college’s normal employment procedures and cannot involve any members of the coaching staff. You must be compensated at the job’s going wage and for the actual work you do.

Employment at a sports camp or clinic

Schools recruiting you cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics.

Division 2

Once you’ve started your ninth grade classes, a college cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics. However, you can be hired once you complete your senior year of high school.

Division 3

Once you’ve started your ninth grade classes, a college cannot hire you to work at their sports camps or clinics. However, if you’ve graduated from high school and intend to enroll at a D-3 college, you can work at their sports camps or clinics, after you’ve accepted the school’s offer of admission.

Division 1, 2 and 3
Transportation to a summer job

A college cannot provide you with free transportation to and from a summer job, unless the college’s established policy is that all employees receive transportation.

Concessions

It’s against NCAA policy for a college to arrange for you to work at a concession to sell items associated with their camp.

Other

You may also be required to fill out a form stating whether a representative of the University’s athletic interests, such as alumni, fan or staff member, assisted you in securing employment. Be careful here – this could mean anyone who made any type of contribution to the Department of Athletics and Recreational Sports or booster club. If there’s ever a question, check with the Athletic Compliance Office.

Did You Know?

The NCAA stipulates that once a person becomes an “athletics representative” they are one forever, even if no longer contributing to or involved in the athletics programs. (13.02.12)